Mend My Heart's Scars
by Hyuchiha Ruki
Summary: Sasuke has known every kind of pain and has gotten many scars all his life. He managed to withstand all of them... All but the wounds of his heart. SasuSaku One-shot.


**I'm in the mood to make SasuSaku one-shots. So, here.**

**I hope you guys like it and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Note: The ones in italics are Sasuke's thoughts that seems to slip in between anything every now and then.**

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"Hold still."

Sasuke bent his back, his shirt off of him. He clenched his fists in pain and as his hair fell over his face and his sweat dripped down the sides of his face. He grunted as Sakura's fingers ran over his scars, rubbing ointment onto them.

"Hrgh…" Sasuke grumbled, biting his lip to fight back the pain. Sakura, concerned and getting quite worried, gave Sasuke's back a quick look. The scars were taking too long to heal and not even her medical techniques could heal them. Seriously, Sasuke needs to watch his health.

"Are you done yet?" Sasuke sternly asked, hoping she was. The burning sensation on his back was almost unbearable. Replacing the lid on the ointment little case and she explained, "Almost, Sasuke. Be patient. I just need to do a few medical procedures on your wounds."

_"It's unbearable. The pricks going round my heart are unbearable. They call it heartbreak. I call it true pain."_

Nodding, Sasuke understood and prepared himself for another round of stinging pain as his skin sometimes peeled off when Sakura did this. He thought medical ninjutsu didn't hurt that much, but then he must be mistaken.

The pain Sasuke experiences each time Sakura heals his wounds is nothing compared to what he felt when he was outside Konoha. Amid the bruises and serious injuries he got from the many battles he had gone through, including the one with Itachi, there was a greater pain that he felt…

…It was the wounds in his heart.

"Agh!" Sasuke yelped as Sakura led her hand over another fresh cut, touching his torn skin, "That hurt." Sensitively, Sakura took her hand away from his back, saying, "Sorry, Sasuke. You'll just have to put up with it first."

_"That hurt. That nagging feeling that makes me wonder if you still love me... Yes, it hurts. But I'll have to put up with it first."_

Sighing, Sasuke wondered in between why she even bothered to do this for him. There are other people in Konoha who need her help and she preferred to waste her time with him. He heard that a man was rushed to the emergency room a few minutes ago, but Sakura gave the job to her student. She took her time with him and she didn't mind.

Once again, Sakura built up her chakra into her hands and warned Sasuke, "Now, try to relax, Sasuke. This'll hurt a bit so…" But when her hands met his cuts, all Sasuke could do was nip his lips till they bled and clutch his arm, releasing the tension on it.

_"You say it'll hurt a bit when in truth it'll hurt a lot."_

When Sakura had taken her hands off of his back, Sasuke felt better to be relieved from the pain. He panted and tried to catch his breath, as if he had just ran for a million miles. "That's the first wound." Sakura said, hoping not to make him feel worst.

_"The first wound is always the one that hurts the most since it's the first slice of pain to trickle through your ego."_

Sasuke understood, nodding in acknowledgement. His hair fell over his face again and he was sweating more profusely now as the drops fell down his chin. "Sasuke, should I stop?" Sakura asked, "You look like you can't take it anymore."

_"No. I can't anymore. I admit it, but it's not defeat. It's called humility."_

Simply shaking his head, Sasuke knew that the sooner he'd get his scars healed, the sooner he'll get out of Konoha. Of course, he didn't plan on staying in Konoha. That would be the last thing a missing nin would do.

Only Sakura knew of his arrival. He made her promise not to tell absolutely anyone, not even Naruto. So far, she has kept her promise and hopefully, she will till he has to leave. It's quite hard for her since she's been looking for him for so long and now that he has returned, she has to keep it a secret till he leaves her again.

It also pained Sasuke. During all those years alone in the effort to gain enough power, he has tried so hard to forget everything he has always loved. He tried to forget his admiration for his brother, his concern for his friends and fellow Leaf ninjas, his love for her…

_"Well, who can forget someone who doesn't dare forget about you? Who can forget someone who thinks of you from the moment she wakes up till the night, when she closes her eyes?"_

But when he fought Itachi that last time, he realized that he has always been wrong. Hatred didn't make him strong. Hatred only made him desperate, taking any opportunity to gain power. But love inspired him. When he thought Itachi could've taken him down, he felt a warm feeling in his heart, telling him, "You shouldn't die here. If you die, you'll lose to Itachi. You won't fulfill your promise…

…Sakura would cry at your grave. You wouldn't want that, don't you?"

Yes, she's always been on his mind. He wonders if she's trailing him, tracking him down since their meeting in Orochimaru's hideout. He went on wondering if she still tried bring him back despite how hopeless he seemed.

"Ow…!" Sasuke snapped as he felt Sakura pull something from his back. Most probably, it was a bandage that covered a wound that she needed to redress and sterilize again. But it could also be a hanging strip of skin. The thought made Sasuke shiver a little.

_"The scars in my heart hurt, but only now did I hear myself complain about it. I bit back till I couldn't hold on anymore. And that has never happened until now."_

"Sorry, Sasuke," Sakura sincerely said, spraying the wound with disinfectant, "Your wounds are really odd. How'd you get them, anyway?" Sasuke turned his head slightly to face her and he mumbled, "Somewhere… I forgot."

_"I got these wounds when I went to leave. I was an idiot and it seems that the only right thing that I've ever done is coming back to you."_

Rolling her eyes, Sakura warned, "Well, hold still again. This might sting again." Sasuke knew that she was applying ointment yet again. She's very patient and dedicated to be voluntarily doing this for him without pay. Sasuke knew that he had too much wounds and he seemed to have abused Orochimaru's chakra, enough to make his scars immune to it and end up having no effect.

_"Stinging and burning sensations hardly get to me. But when it happens to my heart, it's not a sensation for long. It becomes real."_

"S-Sakura?" Sasuke called her, keeping his head low. He jolted the medical ninja and she stopped what she was doing to listen to him. Sasuke swallowed a little as he muttered, "I… I want to be forgiven."

_"It's the biggest scar torn down my heart. If you forgive me, maybe I'll forgive myself for all the things I've done and all that I should've done."_

Slightly confused, Sakura thought for a moment then asked, "What do you mean, Sasuke? Are you referring to me and Naruto?" Sasuke shook his head. He tried not to speak anything more as he went on, "I want you to forgive me."

The kunoichi stopped as Sasuke went on, "Sorry for… treating you like that before. That's all." He paused to clear his throat and he finished, "Uh… and thanks." Hearing that, Sakura beamed happily and replied, "Well, I've always been willing to help, Sasuke." She ran her thumb gently through one of his scars, smothering it with ointment, "And, Sasuke, I've always forgiven you. It's hard not to."

With that, Sasuke smiled and murmured, "Thank you, Sakura."

_"I love you, Sakura. Those are four simple words. Your tongue won't burn if you say it. In fact, it'll heal your heart's scars."_

Finally, Sakura finished dressing Sasuke's last wound and soon, she was starting to wrap bandages around his whole torso then securely ending it with a snip. "I've been fixing your cuts for a week. In about three days, most of your wounds will be healed and my medication wouldn't be required anymore." Sasuke nodded and grabbed his shirt and started to put it on.

Sakura gathered her ointments and bandages, ready to return them to Tsunade-sama. "Y-You can leave Konoha now, if you like." Sakura murmured, soon regretting that. Sasuke fastened his sword back onto his belt and he faced Sakura, who was about to go out the door.

"Do you want me to go?" Sasuke asked her, joking a little. Sakura turned again to him and shook her head but Sasuke replied, "Well, I have to." Hearing that, Sakura muttered, "I understand. I won't tell anyone, Sasuke, don't worry."

_"No, I have to ask myself: Do I really have to go? No."_

Glad to hear that, Sasuke grinned at her and said, "I'll see you around."

_"But I want to see you all the time."_

Sakura bit her lip slightly and nodded once again. She left Sasuke in the hospital room, going through the door in a hurry. But when she was about to close the door behind her, Sasuke threw his firm hand onto the door, making Sakura turn around to look at him.

Sasuke gave her a smile, something you'd rarely see out of Sasuke. A slight blush rushed through her face as their eyes met. Sasuke smirked and he lastly said, "Is that a way to say goodbye?"

_"Goodbye never seemed so sweet. Goodbye is the only thing that happens to me. Just goodbyes... but I found happiness in them, knowing that we'd one day meet again."_

Gently, Sasuke cupped her chin and neared his face to hers; making his lips touch her cheek. He brushed it slightly nearer to her lips but before he reached them, he whispered:

"Good Bye."

He wished to say more. He wanted to speak what he thought, the things in his mind. He wanted to tell her that had grown feelings towards her... but, nay. The warrior was shaking inside when he had to be brave. Still, Sasuke was a master of deception. Outside he was dark and cold but inside, he wasn't hollow at all. What a hypocrite.

Then, he let go of her and went ahead, going off without her. Sakura stared blankly, not believing what she just experienced but when she turned to the corridor where he walked off to, he was gone, being fast like always.

Still, Sakura wondered… Will they see each other again?

She knows that it was a big possibility that this would be the last time she and Sasuke will ever see each other, considering the distance and the huge amount placed on his head. Seeing him again might even be… impossible.

_"Still, Impossible is a big word thrown around by people who think small. It's life for those who stay in the world they know rather than take the power they have to change it and make it a better place. Impossible is an opinion. Impossible won't get you anywhere. Impossible is nothing..."_

"Oh well." Sakura murmured to herslef, shrugging her shoulders, "No one alive can predict anything. Then, I guess…

Only Heaven knows."

_"Still, the people who say these kind of things are the ones who dare to do the impossible. How mysterious this world of ours can be."_

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**I also don't own the phrase "Only Heaven Knows". I got it from a song called "Only Heaven Knows" (no, duh) sung by Rick Price. **

**But I own the quotes in italics! Yeah! **

**Thank you for reading and please leave a review.**

**Thanks!**


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